3 new Chinese cars coming to South Africa

Changan has officially announced that it will bring three new cars to South Africa in 2027.

The Chinese carmaker made an appearance at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, where it unveiled a new sub-brand and several vehicles.

The Paris Motor Show marked the European debut of Changan’s sub-brand NEVO, following the launch of Changan and AVATR in Germany in March 2025.

NEVO is a new-energy vehicle brand that opened its doors in China in 2023 and is now developing cars for export markets, including South Africa.

“NEVO is Changan’s family-focused ‘new energy’ line, and the all-new, all-electric NEVO Q05 is its first model developed for global markets,” explained the company.

“Globally, one million customers have chosen NEVO in just three years, and in China the Q05 has been the best-selling compact SUV for six consecutive months.”

The new brand won’t be limited to European customers, as Changan confirmed that it will launch three new cars in South Africa: the NEVO Q05, NEVO Q06, and the facelifted Deepal S07, including a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant.

The NEVO Q05 will launch in Europe in the first quarter of 2027, while South Africa will receive it a few months later in the third quarter.

“[The Q05] offers generous space, an efficient powertrain, intelligent systems and a 5-star safety rating, and is aimed at value-conscious urban professionals and families,” said Changan.

The new crossover uses a dual-motor setup that produces 120kW and 190Nm, with power being supplied by a 51.9kWh battery that provides a range of up to 506km on the CLTC cycle.

Next up is the NEVO Q06, which is a midsize crossover SUV that is available as either a pure electric or range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) in other markets.

Changan said the Q06 “has 100km of electric range and a combined range of over 1,000km,” indicating we’ll receive the REEV version, though the release date has yet to be finalised.

Finally, there’s the Deepal S07, which is already available in South Africa as an EV. The manufacturer revealed the facelifted version in Paris as well as a new PHEV model.

Both derivatives are scheduled to land in Mzansi in Q3 2027, though Changan didn’t reveal any details about their specifications.

For context, Changan launched in South Africa in 2025 with four cars, one of which was the Deepal S07.

The version we have access to right now has a rear-mounted e-motor that produces 160kW and 320Nm, letting the crossover accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds.

It has an 80kWh battery that provides a CLTC range of 550km, and supports both 11kW AC and 93kW DC charging speeds, the latter of which can achieve an 80% top-up in 30 minutes.